Emotional Support Animal Essentials You Should Know

Emotional support animals (ESAs) are pet animals that are deemed crucial for the mental and emotional stability of the human companions. The ESAs tend to have a therapeutic effect on the humans and companions with their affectionate bond with the household members and the pet parent. If you do not have an ESA letter you can apply for an ESA letter online only if you have an emotional support animal letter sample.

The most common pet companions that serve as emotional support animals are dogs and cats. An ESA dog or cat are on the rise as these animals are known especially for their bond with their companion and the affection they show towards them.

Emotional disabilities and disorders have been on the rise in today’s world. We are more than ever exposed to things that are away from nature, from the food we eat, the media and electronic content we consume, to the activities we choose to spend time in; this and many other factors can cause a degradation of our emotional and mental states which at times can develop into proper disabilities and disorders.

Fortunately for them, an ESA Letter can ensure for people with emotional disabilities constant companionship with their pet animals.

What is an ESA Letter?

An ESA Letter is prescribed by a licensed mental health specialist after a psychological assessment of the person applying for the ESA letter. The specialist can be a clinical psychologist, a licensed therapist, a clinical counselor, or clinical social worker. If you want to apply for an ESA letter you should have an ESA letter sample.

The letter should have an official stamp upon it and also the signature of the licensed mental health specialist. 

How to acquire an ESA Letter?

An emotionally and mentally disabled person can get an ESA letter from the licensed mental health specialists mentioned before. In order to acquire the letter in person, you will need to set up an appointment/s with the mental health specialist who will access your condition and reach a conclusion about your state and the required prescription.

There are many online ESA Letter services that get you into contact with their mental health specialist/s who access you through questionnaires or online interviews before deeming you fit for the ESA Letter.

The length of validity

You should know that an ESA Letter can become invalid if you haven’t renewed it in a long period. ESA letters need to be yearly renewed especially for the airline carriers. They can question the letter and its validity if it was granted a long time ago. If you have a pet you should have an emotional support animal letter.

For housing, the letter doesn’t require yearly renewing, however, it should be renewed yearly just to be on the safe side. 

The emotional state of the pet parent can get better over time, especially with the ESA animal around. In that case, you might not be passed for the ESA letter for the next time around. This is for the better as the ESA letter shouldn’t be used just for the perks. 

Difference between ESAs and Service Animals

Emotional Support Animals don’t have the full privileges put in place for service animals. Service animals assist people with physical disabilities or those prone to medical emergencies. These dogs at times provide their companions the mobility and freedom that they might not get on their own. Such service dogs are guides and mobility assistants for the blind, deaf, and for people with physical difficulties. If you want to keep your animal with you in your house you should know about an ESA letter for housing.

Emotional support animals, however, don’t assist their companions physically. Their presence and their bond with the companion is helping enough for their emotional disabilities. They make their companions feel at ease and ward off emotional imbalances such as anxieties and panic attacks in situations where the human might have trouble behaving normally, such as in public places.

Unlike service animals, which can go anywhere with their companions, ESA animals don’t have a free pass other than the provision of accompanying the human companion in the flight and in the housing and other accommodation.

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